Miami Homeland Security and National Defense Online Graduate Programs

Are you considering pursuing Online Homeland Security and National Defense Graduate Programs? For many, doing so might be a great choice. Online programs offer flexibility and convenience to professionals who work full time, depend upon distance education, or otherwise prefer to access coursework at convenient times or from the comfort of their own computers. Not to mention that many online programs give students access to digital libraries, technologically advanced platforms, and other digital formats that may enable an interactive and social experience. For many students, being able to pursue an online degree in homeland security and national defense might make graduate school accessible.

What Might I Learn as I Pursue My Graduate-Level National Defense and Homeland Security Degree Online?

Online Homeland Security and National Defense Graduate Programs may help professionals develop their ability to prevent and respond to man-made and natural disasters and emergencies. The field of national defense and homeland security impacts local, national, and international entities and spans industries in public and private sectors. In online homeland and national security graduate programs, students may explore the field’s core theories, concepts, and principles and learn how to navigate the field’s many dynamics. Many programs emphasize putting theory to practice.

What Types of Online Homeland Security and National Defense Graduate Programs and Certificates Exist?

There are three types of Online Homeland Security and National Defense Graduate Programs: certificate programs, master’s degree programs, and doctoratedegree programs. Here’s more about each:

Online National Defense and Homeland Security Certificate Programs

Graduate-level online homeland security certificate programs may give students a broad sense of homeland security and national defense’s key theories, issues, and applications across public and private entities. Students might also learn about homeland security and national defense as they relate to industries such as science, technology, and public health.

The curricula in graduate certificate programs tend to be multidisciplinary and might cover subjects such as:

Strategic planning and tactics of national defense and homeland security

Law, politics, and sociology of national defense and homeland security

Contemporary issues in national defense and homeland security

Foundations of national defense and homeland security

Practical applications of national defense and homeland security

Approaches to national defense and homeland security

Comparative methods of national defense and homeland security

Students in graduate certificate programs might also delve into more specific areas of national defense and homeland security such as emergency management, military defense, or terrorism.

The coursework in online graduate certificate programs typically includes core and elective options. Core coursework may help students gain foundational knowledge in national defense, homeland security, or an area of either one. Students might also take classes in areas of personal or professional interest through electives.

Students typically earn an online graduate certificate in national defense and homeland security by taking four to ten courses over three months to one year of fulltime study. Some programs allow students to transfer their online credits from their certificate program to a master’s degree program. To determine whether or not the credits in your program will transfer, talk to an advisor in your program.

National Defense and Homeland Security Master’s Degree Programs

The online master’s in homeland security and national defense typically comes in three forms: The Master of Arts (M.A.), the Master of Science (M.S.), and the Master of Professional Studies (M.P.S.). Any one of these degree programs might focus on national defense, homeland security, emergency management, terrorism studies, or another area of national security.

In master’s level national defense and homeland security online degree programs, students typically take core and elective classes across disciplines. Some core subjects students might study include:

Foundations of homeland security and national defense

Administration of homeland security and national defense

Applications and approaches to homeland security and national defense

Strategic planning in homeland security and national defense

Historical and contemporary issues in homeland security and national defense

Comparative methodologies in homeland security and national defense

Social and ethical issues in homeland security and national defense

Terrorism and counterterrorism in homeland security and national defense

Threats and violence in homeland security and national defense

Students’ elective coursework might cumulate into a concentration or specialization. Some areas in which students might concentrate their learning include emergency management, military defense, leadership, management, administration, international relations, psychology of defense, terrorism and counterterrorism, crisis and disaster management, and numerous others.

Depending on the Online Homeland Security and National Defense Graduate Programs, students might study these more specific subjects as part of their core curriculum and delve into them more deeply through elective coursework. Students might also study national defense and homeland security in a particular region of the world, such as Mexico, Europe, or the Middle East, as part of their core or elective curricula.

While every Online Homeland Security and National Defense Graduate Programs differ, earning a master’s degree typically requires one to two years of intensive or fulltime study. Students commonly take ten to twenty classes, and they might end their programs by writing and defending a thesis (an intensive research project) or taking a comprehensive exam. In some programs, students might forgo a thesis or exam and instead complete a project as part of a capstone course. Students might also participate in an internship or study abroad as they earn their master’s in homeland security online.

Online National Defense and Homeland Security Doctorate Programs

Four popular online doctorate degrees in national defense and homeland security include the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), the Doctor of Science (Sc.D.), the Doctor of Business Administration, and the Doctor of Management. Any of these doctorate degree programs might emphasize national defense, homeland security, or another area of security through core and elective coursework.

Through core coursework, students typically engage in a broad-based study of homeland security and national defense. Otherwise, they may study the similar subjects as those in a master’s degree program but in greater depth and specificity. In many programs, they may study business-related subjects such as leadership, management, and operations. It is also quite common for students to study qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and statistics extensively. Many doctorate programs are research and writing-intensive and require students to develop their knowledge of historical and contemporary research in the fields of homeland security and national defense.

Through elective curricula, students in online doctorate programs may pursue a specialization in an area such as comparative politics, political economy, political theory, science, technology, public policy, public health, emergency planning, management, homeland security enterprise, innovation in homeland security and national defense, and others.

Many students pursue an online D.B.A., D.M., Sc.D., or Ph.D. in homeland security and national defense over the course of four to six years of fulltime study. At the end of their programs, students might write and defend a dissertation (an intensive research project) or take a comprehensive exam. They might also do an internship, student teach, or work with a business mentor.

What Careers Might I Pursue with a Graduate Certificate or Degree in Homeland Security and National Defense?

There are many types of professionals who might benefit from pursuing a graduate certificate or degree in homeland security and national defense. EMTs, firefighters, police officers, paramedics, public and private security guards, members of the military, protective services professionals, and professionals in local, state, and federal government are just some people who might pursue advanced education to enhance their careers. With their certificates or degrees, they might pursue administrative or management positions in their fields, or they might pursue positions that require advanced or specialized knowledge and training. Some examples of occupations that professionals with advanced certificates or degrees might pursue include:

Military careers: military professionals earned anywhere from $1,566 per month to $16,072.20 per month[i].

Emergency Management Directors, who earned a median annual salary of $67,330 as of 2015. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that this occupation will grow by six percent between 2014 and 2024 (which is about as fast as average for all occupations)[ii]

Training and Development Managers, who earned a median annual salary of $102,640 across industries as of 2015. The BLS predicts that this occupation will grow by seven percent between 2014 and 2024 (which is about as fast as average for all occupations)[iii]

Administrative Services Managers, who earned a median annual salary of $86,110 across industries as of 2015. The BLS predicts that this occupation will grow by eight percent between 2014 and 2024 (which is as fast as average for all occupations)[iv]

These are just some examples of the occupations homeland security and national defense professionals might pursue once they have a graduate certificate or degree. (Note: The typical entry education level for many of these positions may be a bachelor’s degree.)

What’s My Next Step for Pursuing an Online Certificate, Master’s Degree, or Doctorate Degree in Homeland Security and National Defense?

If you’re ready to explore your options for pursuing an online homeland security degree or certificate, you can start here. Below you’ll find a list of Online Homeland Security and National Defense Graduate Programs at the certificate, master’s degree, and doctorate degree levels. If you want to refine your search to browse Online Homeland Security and National Defense Graduate Programs by a particular level, you can do so using our search tool. Once you’ve found a program you like, you can contact it directly through our website. It’s that easy. Good luck!

Kaplan University

Environmental disasters, terrorism, espionage, border transgressions…stories about threats like these make headlines every day. Kaplan University could help you pursue an important and challenging career protecting the security and safety.

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